The BBC has launched a new documentary series titled ‘The Street’ that saw the inaugural episode cause a huge stir online after footage of a racist attack against a black street busker was shown to a reported audience of 350,000 viewers.

A former nightclub bouncer, Francis Muir, was seen verbally assaulting a Glaswegian street entertainer known as Melo – at one point exclaiming that he’s “milking our country for thousands” amongst other unsavoury names. Scenes continue to take a sour note, when Muir’s drunk friend attempts to throw a few punches but the street busker handles the situation well before police arrive.

Muir was sentenced to 10 months for the attack and a separate incident where he abused a female Asian police officer whilst out on bail. The former bouncer was reported as saying he was “in a bad place” when the filming took place and is actually “a really nice guy”.

Billed as a programme that follows a year in the lives of the people who live, work and play on Sauchiehall Street, one of Scotland’s most famous and iconic shopping and party destinations – The Street gives us an insight into the shopkeepers struggling to pay the rent to buskers, revellers, street pastors, bar workers and psychics in the Glaswegian street that supposedly never sleeps.

In the first episode, Savoy Centre manager Jim decides to put a cunning new plan into action but ends up with a mutiny on his hands and chef Nick puts a trainee through the mill, while the street pastors are out in force mopping up the aftermath of a busy weekend’s partying.